EFBWW and construction employers welcome EU agreement on prior notification for posting
EFBWW, together with the European construction employers’ organisations FIEC and EBC, welcomes the provisional agreement between the European Parliament and the Council on the revision of EU rules on social security coordination.
The agreement confirms mandatory prior notification for all postings in the construction sector, regardless of duration. This is a significant step forward for workers and for fair competition in one of Europe’s most fraud-sensitive industries.
For years, trade unions and employers in construction have jointly called for this measure. The sector accounts for a large share of cross-border postings in the EU, and both sides have repeatedly warned about the risks linked to fake posting, letterbox companies and abusive subcontracting chains.
Mandatory prior notification directly addresses a key enforcement gap.
Too often, workers have been sent across borders without proper registration, leaving them underprotected and making it difficult for authorities to act. Requiring companies to declare postings in advance allows checks to take place before work begins.
This improves transparency, strengthens enforcement and makes it harder for fraudulent operators to exploit loopholes.
In a sector characterised by short-term and highly mobile work, such safeguards are essential to ensure that workers’ social rights are respected in practice.
EFBWW calls on the co-legislators to formally endorse the agreement without delay.
Effective implementation will now be crucial. Prior notification must be properly enforced at national level and supported by strong labour inspections and cross-border cooperation.
The planned digitalisation of social security procedures, including the forthcoming ESSPASS initiative, will be an important next step to make notification systems more efficient and improve enforcement.
This agreement demonstrates the importance of coordinated action by the European social partners in construction. EFBWW will continue working with its affiliates and European partners to ensure that these rules are effectively applied and further strengthened where necessary.